Hong Kong airport third runway takes off, BA

Hong Kong inaugurated its third runway on Thursday, aiming to enhance the city’s position as an aviation hub despite the ongoing post-pandemic recovery challenges. Hong Kong International Airport remains one of the busiest airports globally, but passenger traffic is yet to return to pre-Covid levels, trailing behind regional competitors like Singapore and South Korea.

During the inauguration ceremony, Hong Kong’s leader John Lee highlighted that the new runway will significantly increase the airport’s capacity, enabling it to accommodate up to 120 million passengers and 10 million tonnes of cargo annually by 2035, according to authorities.

After eight years of construction on the third runway, attendees at the ceremony witnessed a plane taking off into the clear blue sky. The project, costing HKD 142 billion (USD 18 billion), faced controversies due to its environmental impact, labor disputes, and a corruption case involving subcontractors.
Questions have been raised about whether the increased capacity can be fully utilized, as visitor arrivals are still below pre-pandemic levels. Hong Kong’s flagship airline, Cathay Pacific, announced plans to reach 100 per cent of pre-pandemic flight capacity by January. Lee emphasized that the upgraded airport will strengthen Hong Kong’s connections to neighboring Chinese cities as part of Beijing’s regional development plan. Some of the expanded passenger facilities associated with the third runway are expected to be operational by the end of 2025.